FROM A WRONG NUMBER.

Some days are fast-moving and adventurous. My daughter, Kris and Son Ken share a family plan for their phones since they live in the same city. While driving to work, Kris got a phone call meant for her brother’s family. The caller was asking her if she could take on an exchange student from Italy. She stopped the car and said, Yes!  Her brother had done it the year before. Why not? The woman asking explained that she had to place two boys in 24 hours or they would lose their right to exchange. Zoom, Kris had a mountain of paperwork to fill out, proof of employment. She had to take pictures of her house and family and the dogs. Fax it to Italy. They approved her and asked if she knew anyone who would take the other boy.
“My brother and his wife,” of course.   Ken said yes before he could consult with Laurie. And, just as fast, they were approved.
For Kris, as it turned out, it was her son’s birthday and they would be celebrating his birthday that day and picking up their student that night at midnight. When I get pictures, I’ll give an update.
We had an exchange student from Indonesia in 1986, that turned into a wonderful learning and exciting experience for all of us. We still keep in touch with Linda and her family. I visited them for the first time in 2004.

This is Linda with her daughter and son.
My youngest daughter was an exchange student to France in 1987. The son of one of her French sisters visited us last year.  Now she is hosting a graduate student from Brazil. I will get to meet him at Thanksgiving.
Hosting students from all over the world is such an enriching experience. Understanding other cultures is an advance toward peace between nations, which is what got the initial public exchange program going after WWII. It was named AFS, which stands for American Field Service,  an idea from soldiers who, like today, find people wonderful and endearing in  an “enemy” country. I’m sorry to say, it hasn’t stopped wars. But, I’m pleased to say, there are many, many student exchange organizations still making inroads to peace.
I’m glad my kids are spreading the tradition to their families. If you ever feel you have time to have a temporary addition to your family, having an exchange student is a wonderfully rewarding experience. In fact students report that their exchanges have been life changing events when they learn how others live.

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM FAR AND NEAR

As a kid, growing up in rural Michigan, I never thought I'd become a world traveler. It still boggles my mind.
And looking back at this wonderful year of traveling across the United States and back, the wonderful experiences I've had, the amazing places and things I've seen, I'm in awe of my great good fortune to have met a ramblin' man who seeks to be an adventurer and pulled out of the ruts of life to follow his dreams.

I mentioned being a world traveler as well. Before I retired, I was interested in the world, other cultures, other peoples, other customs. It was my good fortune to become acquainted with the Republic of Indonesia via an exchange student who became an integral part of my life and introduced me to a whole new world of experiences. And, today I received greetings from Linda Djamaludin, one of the nicest, most interesting women I've ever met.

This is Linda, third from left, in costume, with some of her friends.
Below is Linda experiencing snow for the first time, at Bear Valley, something rather rare in Indonesia. (Photo from 1986).
Linda, who is muslim, also sent me the words to a song, Stand Up For Love.  There are words worth repeating:
     There are times I find it hard to sleep at night,
     We are living through such troubling times.
     And every child that reaches out for someone to hold,
     For one moment they become my own.
     If we all stand together this one time
     Then no one will get left behind.
     Stand up for life
     Stand up for love. 

If we could see the world as a world full of people who all want basically the same thing. Love, friendship, family, good health and the ability to have free choices, what a peaceable world this would be. Which is, by the way, my wish for the New Year. A WORLD FULL OF PEACE AND LOVE.       

THE WHITE STUFF IS HERE

Forgive me, for I have sinned.  I let the white stuff fall down on the Motor Home, and failed to get the chimney swept.
 We  hunkered in with the heater blasting all day. I enjoy the snow as long as it melts away in a day or two.  Jim, however, was unfazed by the beauty of the white stuff. You be the judge.

 It was a wet snow. The maple tree branches are strong enough not to bend. The plum tree still has its purple leaves. The branches were bent heavily over my deck table.

 The fine needles of a heather plant turned snow into lace.

 

My Exchange student from Indonesia, in 1986, was dellighted that California had snow. Her father told her there would be no snow in California, so she was surprised to find out that some parts of the sunny state had snow.

 Linda, on the left, enjoyed playing in the white stuff and enjoyed the dog sled races at Bear Valley.

But, real snow looks like this:

It was deep, every year in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. This picture was taken in the 1942. My father would warn us not to climb the snowdrifts and touch the electrical wires. The snow WAS that high.
Brrrr!  I'm grateful to be a Californian.